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Obert Mpofu issues warning on Ndebele king
04 Apr 2018 at 15:18hrs | Views
Home Affairs and Culture Heritage minister Obert Mpofu has warned those pushing for the installation of the Ndebele King to follow the constitutional procedures to avoid conflict with government.
Mpofu told Southern News this week that, as a minister in charge of culture he would not tolerate people who jump the gun when the Constitution is clear about the issue of traditional leaders.
This comes after the High Court last month dismissed the urgent application by Dumisani Dube, an attorney of South Africa-based self-imposed Ndebele crown prince Bulelani Lobengula Khumalo, by ruling that it was illegal to install a king under the Zimbabwe Constitution.
"I am in charge of culture; we want things to be done in an orderly manner. You don't impose yourself on the people.
"The majority of the people in this country are the descendants of this country and those that are not descendants of this country cannot dictate a position, that's a personal view," Mpofu said.
"The matters have been referred to the courts of law and there is no provision in our statutes. If they want that to be provided they should lobby the politicians to amend the constitution and that will be the best way out than to antagonise, harass people and start tribalising the whole issue. It can be done through a referendum," he added.
Mpofu revealed there were some chiefs, however, who were supporting the idea of installing a Ndebele king.
"There are very few chiefs supporting the idea. It's some traditional leaders not most of them. In fact in the whole Matabeleland North there is no chief who supports the idea. I have a list of those who support the idea," he said.
After the court blocked Bulelani's coronation, Dube took aim at the courts by suggesting its ruling was improper.
"In my view the court's finding was improper because there is nowhere in our statute that in the Traditional Leaders Act and the Constitution of Zimbabwe which prohibits the installation of a king by the chiefs who are empowered by both the Traditional leaders Act to revive customs, culture and heritage of Ndebele people, a position supported by the Constitution on the role and duties of Chiefs in sections 281 and 282.
"More so, Sections 63 on the rights to culture is clear and as such there is nothing unconstitutional by the act of coronating a king by the chiefs who are the custodians of our traditional practices, customs, heritage and culture," he argued.
Mpofu told Southern News this week that, as a minister in charge of culture he would not tolerate people who jump the gun when the Constitution is clear about the issue of traditional leaders.
This comes after the High Court last month dismissed the urgent application by Dumisani Dube, an attorney of South Africa-based self-imposed Ndebele crown prince Bulelani Lobengula Khumalo, by ruling that it was illegal to install a king under the Zimbabwe Constitution.
"I am in charge of culture; we want things to be done in an orderly manner. You don't impose yourself on the people.
"The majority of the people in this country are the descendants of this country and those that are not descendants of this country cannot dictate a position, that's a personal view," Mpofu said.
"The matters have been referred to the courts of law and there is no provision in our statutes. If they want that to be provided they should lobby the politicians to amend the constitution and that will be the best way out than to antagonise, harass people and start tribalising the whole issue. It can be done through a referendum," he added.
Mpofu revealed there were some chiefs, however, who were supporting the idea of installing a Ndebele king.
"There are very few chiefs supporting the idea. It's some traditional leaders not most of them. In fact in the whole Matabeleland North there is no chief who supports the idea. I have a list of those who support the idea," he said.
After the court blocked Bulelani's coronation, Dube took aim at the courts by suggesting its ruling was improper.
"In my view the court's finding was improper because there is nowhere in our statute that in the Traditional Leaders Act and the Constitution of Zimbabwe which prohibits the installation of a king by the chiefs who are empowered by both the Traditional leaders Act to revive customs, culture and heritage of Ndebele people, a position supported by the Constitution on the role and duties of Chiefs in sections 281 and 282.
"More so, Sections 63 on the rights to culture is clear and as such there is nothing unconstitutional by the act of coronating a king by the chiefs who are the custodians of our traditional practices, customs, heritage and culture," he argued.
Source - dailynews
